Future of historic brewery uncertain
The future of an historic Black Country brewery which was ravaged in one of the West Midlands biggest fires this year is hanging in the balance while a report on its future is drawn up.
The future of an historic Black Country brewery which was ravaged in one of the West Midlands biggest fires this year is hanging in the balance while a report on its future is drawn up.
A team from English Heritage, which aims to protect important historical sites, has visited Grade II listed Langley Maltings in Oldbury following the inferno which all but destroyed it last month. Its owners Lehmber Singh and Harbhajan Singh Dhadday are now assessing what can be done to the site and have not ruled out demolition.
Mr Singh bought the property for £1 million in 2007 with business partner Mr Singh Dhadday who he runs D&S Enterprises Ltd with.
Initially it was planned to transform the site with a housing development until the recession stalled the idea.
No planning application has ever been drawn up and now Mr Singh said it was unclear whether he would ever be able to realise his dream of creating new homes there.
"We have got to assess the building," he said. "It has got a few structural defects so we are trying to get a report together.
"English Heritage are not saying it will have to be demolished, it depends on their report as to what we can do and what we can't do."
English Heritage has already approved emergency demolition of the most dangerous parts of the building. The rest has been weather-proofed.
More than 60 firefighters from crews across the Black Country and Birmingham battled through the night to save the Western Road brewery on September 8.
Roads were cordoned off as crews did their best to contain the flames at the derelict factory while thick smoke billowed into the night sky.
An investigation was launched into how the fire started, but arson was ruled out as a cause. The listed building, which dates back to the 1870s, is currently on Sandwell Council's list of buildings which are at risk.
Originally owned by Walter Showell as part of his Crosswells Brewery empire, the brewery was sold in 1957 to Ind Coope before being taken over by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries in 2000. It shut in 2006.
